Weed-cutter.



No. 847.125. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

' R. W. STEELE.

WEED CUTTER. APPLIOATIONIILED 1330.14, 1905. RENEWED NOV. 3,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

INVENTOH ATTORNEYS ROBERT W. STEELE.

PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

R. W. STEELE.

WEED CUTTER. v AYBLI OATION FILED DEC. 14. 1905. RENEWED NOV.3,1906.

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A 7'TOHNEYS @ZZM No. 847,125. PATBNTBD MAR. 12,- 1907.

R. W. STEELE.

WEED CUTTER. urucmnon FILED DEO.14. 1905. RENEWED NOV.3,1906.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOH Ff 0 BEFrTVV. STEELE;

, ATTORNEYS n-lz "cams PETERS vo.. WASHINGTON. n.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ROBERT W. STEELE, OF TWIN FALLS, IDAHO.

WEED-CUTTER.

Application filed December 14, 1905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. STEELE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Twin Falls, in the county of Cassia and State ofIdaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWeed-Cutters, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention is an improvement in weedcutters, and consists in certainnovel constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described nndclaimed.

Referring to the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a plan viewof my improved weed-cutter with the windrow at tachment removed. Fig. 2is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of the frameand the means for varying the angle of the tongue thereto. Fig. 4 is atop plan view of the mechanism for arranging the weeds in windrows. Fig.5 is a side view of the same. Fig. 6 is a detail of the brace connectedtherewith. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the connection of theknives with each other at their front end and with the frame.

In the practical application of my invention I provide a frame A,composed of three longitudinal bars a, connected at their ends by thecross-bars a. Upon the lower face of the longitudinal bars are arrangedbearings o in which are journaled the cranked portion I) of a shaft B,having upon its outer ends the wheels 1). Gear wheels b are keyed to thec anked portion of the shaft within the outer longitudinal bars, andupon said bars, adjacent to the gear-wheel's, is a bracket 6, havingjournaled therein a shaft b whose lower end is provided with a worm bmeshing with the gear-wheel b the upper end of the shaft being providedwith a handwheel I), having secured to the rim thereof a handle 6 Byrotating the hand-wheel b the gearwheel is rotated, thus rotating theshaft and bringing the cranked portion into different positions withrespect to the supportingwheels I) for elevating and depressing theframe with respect to the wheels.

Side plates C are secured to the sides of the central longitudinal bar,the said side plates having rear depending portions 0 and frontdepending portions 0, the latter portions being Specification-of LettersPatent.

Renewed November 3, 1906. Serial No. 341,944.

Patented March 12, 1907.

provided with series of alined perforations 0 the uppermost perforationfor receiving the pivot-pin of the tongue E and the lower perforationfor receiving the doubletrees. (Not shown.)

Side plates D are secured to the outer side of the outer longitudinalbars, the said plates having a curved depending portion (1 at their rearend and projecting beyond the side bars at their front end. Braces econnect the tongue with the projecting portion of the latter-named sidebars.

An eyebolt e traverses the tongue vertically at a suitable distance fromits pivot, and attached to the eyebolt is a bar e having in its upperend a series of perforations e, in one of which is pivoted a lever epivotally mounted in brackets 6 secured to the upper face of the centrallongitudinal bar, the lever being provided with a spring-actuated catche for engaging a toothed quadrant e, projecting forwardly from thecentral longitudinal bar.

The last-described mechanism is for varying the angle of the tongue withthe frame and for securing the members in their adjusted position. Bydepressing the free end of the lever the angle of the tongue with theframe isdecreased, while by elevating the free end of the handle theangle is increased. By this mechanism the frame can be leveled withrespect to the ground when elevated or depressed without reference tothe position of the tongue.

The rear curved ends d of the side bars D are broadened horizontally, asat d, and t0 suchbroadened portions are secured the outer ends of knivesd arranged at an angle to each other and converging at a point somewhatto the front of the line connecting the center of the supporting-wheels.The knives d are of suitable breadth and are arranged at a slight angleto the horizontal, the two knives forming approximately the letter A andwith the point to the front.

The converging ends of the knives d are connected by an angle-plate 0secured to the rear depending portions 0 of the side plates i- C, and atthe junction of the knives I arrange a vertical cutter c, secured at itslower end to one of the knives and at its upper end hav ing an angularportion 0 for attachment to the rear depending portion 0 of the sideplates C.

Finger-bars d are attached to the rear edges of the knives and areprovided with upwardly and backwardly inclined fingers 66 the saidfingers being for the purpose of loosening the weeds from the soil afterthey are cut by the knives.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown an attachment G for arranging the weeds inwindrows at either side of the cutter, the said attachment comprising aplurality of curved pairs of vertically-spaced bars 9, connected attheir front end and diverging at their rear end, the individual membersof the bars being connected by vertical braces 9 while the rear ends ofthe bars are connected by a cross-brace 9 provided at either end withdiverging arms 9 for engaging the respective members of the bars at eachend of the brace. A vertical plate 9 is arranged between the attachedends of the bars, and the said plate is removably attached to thecentral longitudinal bar of the frame by means of bolts and nuts 9 I Theabove-described attachment is especially intended for use in cuttingsage-brush and obviates the necessity for going over the ground with arake when it is desired to pile the brush. It is apparent, however, thatit might with equal facility be used with heavy weeds as well as in thesage-brush.

In operation my improved. weed-cutter is drawn through the field withthe knives lowered into the ground a suitable distance-- say from one tofour inches. The weeds are cut off beneath the surface of the ground,and the action of the fingers loosens them from the soil and leaves themin such condition that the attachment behind the finger-bar may easilypile them into windrows on either side of the cutter. By means of theframeelevating mechanism the knives may be set to cut at any desireddepth, and by means of the leveling attachment the frame may be leveledto a horizontal plane regardless of the position of the tongue. Byarranging the knives in the described manner one acts as a landside forthe other, thus preventing all side draft and providing a light and easyrunning machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is H 1. In a weed-cutter and in combination aframe comprising a plurality of longitudinal .bars and cross-barsconnecting the ends of the longitudinal bars, hearings on the lowerfaces of the longitudinal bars, a shaft having a cranked portion journaled on the bars, wheels on the outer ends of the shaft, gear-.wheels on the cranked portion adjacent to the outer longitudinal bars,brackets secured to the said longitudinal bars, shafts journaled in thebrackets and provided with worms engaging the gear-wheels, a hand wheelfor manipulating the shaft, side plates on the central longitudinal barand provided at their frontand rear ends with depending portions, thefront depending portions being provided with a plurality of alinedperforations and projecting beyond the longitudinal bars, a doubletreeconnected to sundry of the perforations, side plates on the outerlongitudinal bars projecting beyond the front ends thereof and having acurved depending portion at their rear ends, a tongue pivoted in theupper perforations of the first-named side plates, means for varying theangle of the frame and tongue, means for fixing the parts in theiradjusted position, knives connected at one end to the curved dependingportions of the side plates on the outer longitudinal bars and at theirother end to the side plates on the rear depending portions of thecentral longitudinal bar and arranged at an acute angle with respect toeach other, a vertical cutter secured to the rear depending portions ofthe side plates on the central longitudinal bar at the junction of theknives, finger-bars between the knives, and upwardly and backwardlyinclined fingers on the longitudinal bars.

2. In a weed-cutter and in combination, a frame comprising a pluralityof longitudinal bars, and cross-bars connecting the ends of thelongitudinal bars, hearings on the lower faces of the longitudinal bars,a shaft having a cranked portion journaled on the bars, wheels on theouter ends of the shaft, means engaging the cranked portion of the shaftfor raising and lowering the frame with respect to the wheels, sideplates on the central longitudinal bar and provided at their front andrear ends with depending portions, the front depending portions beingprovided with a plurality of alined perforations projecting beyond thelongitudinal bar, a doubletree engaging sundry of the perforations, sideplates on the outer longitudinal bars and projecting beyond the frontends thereof, and having a curved depending portion at their rear ends,a tongue pivoted in the upper perforations of the first-named sideplates, braces connecting the tongue with the projecting portions of thelast-named side plates, an eyebolt on the tongue, a bar connected withthe eyebolt and provided at its outer end with a plurality ofperforations, brackets secured to the central longitudinal bar of theframe, a lever pivoted in the brackets and having one of its endsengaging the perforations in the bar, a toothed quadrant on thelongitudinal bar of the frame, a springactuated catch on the lever forengaging the quadrant, knives connected at one end to the curveddepending portions of the side plates on the outer longitudinal bars andat their front end to the rear depending portions of j with respect tothe wheels, a tongue pivoted the side plates on the central longitudinalbar, and arranged at an acute angle with respect to each other, avertical cutter secured to the rear depending portions of the sideplates on the central longitudinal bar at the junction of the knives,linger-bars behind the knives, and upwardly and backwardly inclinedfingers on the finger-bars 3. In a weed-cutter and in combination, aframe comprising a plurality of longitudinal bars and cross-barsconnecting the ends of the longitudinal bars, bearings on the lowerfaces of the longitudinal bars, a shaft having a cranked portionjournaled in the bar, wheels on the outer ends of the shaft, gearwheelson the cranked portions adjacent the outside longitudinal bars, bracketssecured to said longitudinal bars, shafts ournaled in the brackets andprovided with worms engaging the gear-wheels, hand-wheels formanipulating the shafts, a tongue pivoted to the front of the frame,braces connecting the tongue with the sides of the frame, an eye bolt onthe tongue, a bar connected with the eyebolt and provided at its outerend with a plurality of perforations, brackets secured to the centrallongitudinal bar of the frame, a lever pivoted in the brackets andhaving one of its ends engaging the perforations in the bar, a toothedquadrant on the frame, a spring-actuated catch on the lever for engagingthe quadrant, a plurality of substan tially horizontal knives connectedat their front ends and diverging rearwardly and supported below theframe, a vertical cutter at the junction of the knives, and means behindthe knives for loosening the weeds from the soil.

4. In a weed-cutter and in combination, a plurality of longitudinalbars, and cross-bars connecting the ends of the longitudinal bars,bearings on the lower faces of the longitudinal bars, a shaft having acranked portion journaled in the bearings, wheels on the outer ends ofthe shaft, gear-wheels on the cranked portion adjacent the outsidelongitudinal bars, brackets secured to said longitudinal bars, shaftsjournaled in the brackets and provided with worms engaging thegearwheels, hand-wheels for manipulating the shafts, a tongue pivoted tothe front of the frame, means for varying the angle of the tongue withthe frame, means for fixing the parts in their adjusted position, aplurality of substantially horizontal knives connected at their frontends and diverging rearwardly, I

supported below the frame, a vertical cutter at the junction of theknives, and means behind the knives for loosening the weeds from thesoil.

5. In a weed-cutter and in combination, a frame, wheels for supportingthe frame, means for raising and lowering the frame to the front of theframe, means for varying the angle of the tongue with the frame, meansfor fixing the parts in their adjusted position, a plurality ofsubstantially horizontal knives connected at their front ends anddiverging rearwardly and arranged below the frame, a vertical cutter atthe junction of the knives, and means behind the knives for looseningthe weeds from the soil.

6. In a weed-cutter and in combination, a frame, wheels for supportingthe frame, means for raising and lowering the frame with respect to theWheels, a tongue pivoted to the front of the frame, means for varyingthe angle of the tongue with the frame, means for fixing the parts intheir adjusted position, a plurality of substantially horizontal knivesconnected at their free ends and diverging rearwardly and supportedbelow the frame, and means behind the knives for loosening the weedsfrom the soil.

7. In a weed-cutter and in combination, a frame, wheels for supportingthe frame, means for raising and lowering thev frame, a tongue pivotedto the frame, means whereby to fix the frame and the tongue at variousinclinations with respect to each other, a plurality of substantiallyhorizontal knives connected at their front ends and diverging rearwardlyarranged below the frame and connected therewith, a vertical cutter atthe junction of the knives, and means behind the knives for looseningthe cut weeds fromthe ground.

8. In a weed-cutter and in combination, a frame, wheels for supportingthe frame, means for raising and lowering the frame, a tongue pivoted tothe frame, means whereby to fix the frame and tongue at variousinclinations with respect to each other, a plurality of substantiallyhorizontal knives connected by their front ends and diverging rearwardlyand arranged below the frame, a vertical cutter at the junction of theknives, and means between the knives for loosening the cut weeds fromthe ground.

9. In a weed-cutter and in combination, a frame, wheels for supportingthe frame, means for raising and lowering the frame, a tongue pivoted tothe frame, means for varying the angle of the tongue to the frame, meansfor fixing the tongue and the frame in their adjusted position, aplurality of substantially horizontal knives connected at their frontends, a vertical cutter at the junction of the knives, and means behindthe knives for loosening the weeds from the soil.

10. In a weed-cutter and in combination, means for cutting the weeds, aframe for supporting the cutting means, means for elevating anddepressing the cutting means with respect to the frame, and means forthrowing the weeds into windrows comprising a substantially triangularframe supported behind the cutting means With its apex adjacent thereto.

respect to the supporting means, and means behind the cutting means forthrowing the Weeds into windrows. 11. In a weed-cutter andincombination, ROBERT W. STEELE. 5 means for cutting the Weeds, meansfor sup- Witnesses:

porting the cutting means, means for elevat- ZELLA COLE,

ing and depressing the cutting means with l C. D. THOMAS.

